Longhorn Wellness Peer Educator Program
Longhorn Wellness Peer Educators gain peer health leadership expertise through a three-semester academic course and experiential learning that promotes health and wellness on campus. Longhorn Wellness Peer Educators facilitate workshops for student groups and classes and engage with other UT students like you to empower all UT students to make well-informed decisions about well-being and help create a healthy campus culture.
Become a Longhorn Wellness Peer Educator
Applications for the 2024-2025 cohort are now closed.
Please check back in Spring 2025.
Benefits of being a Longhorn Wellness Peer Educator
- Earning academic credit for public health experience
- Gaining knowledge on a variety of health topics relevant to college students, which may include mental health, sleep, substance use, healthy sexuality and more
- Positively influencing your peers and UT campus
- Helping students connect mental and physical well-being
- Building public speaking and group facilitation skills
- Advocating for a healthier campus and creating change in a meaningful way
- Talking to fellow students about sensitive health and wellness topics
- Developing leadership skills and engaging in professional development
- Becoming part of a supportive team
- Engaging in opportunities to practice self-care
Service Hours
In addition to academic learning, peer educators are required to complete service hours that include outreach, workshop facilitation, tabling, planning wellness programs, mentorship and other support for the Longhorn Wellness Center.
Program Outline Requirements
- Peer educators must commit to three consecutive long semesters (fall-spring-fall).
- There are no academic prerequisites for the Longhorn Wellness Peer Educator program.
| Semester | Course Credit | Service Hours | Course Code | Course Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (Fall) | 3 Hours | 10 | HED 3781* | Prepare to be a peer educator through discussions, lectures, readings, assignments, shadowing of senior peer educators and interactive exercises. Start the planning of a campus health initiative and learn about a variety of health topics. |
| 2 (Spring) | 1 Hour | 20 | HED 178G | Take the lead on conducting campus outreach through facilitating workshops, tabling and other events while continuing to develop your own campus health initiative. Learn about different resources and services available to students |
| 3 (Fall) | 1 Hour | 30 | HED 178J | Continue to conduct campus outreach through facilitating workshops, tabling and other events as a senior peer educator while serving as a mentor to incoming peer educators. Complete the development of your campus health initiative and learn about community health resources and services. |
*For those in the Bridging Disciplines Program, the first semester class (HED 378I) meets the requirement for credit in Ethics and Leadership (under the Ethics of Health Care strand); Social Inequality, Health, and Policy (under Public Health as well as Family, Fertility, and the Life Course); and Social Entrepreneurship and Non-Profits (under the Health and Health Care strand).
Questions?
Contact us at 512-475-8252 or email longhornwellnesscenter@austin.utexas.edu.